THE TRUTH SERIES - FOOTBALL

2 Timothy 2:5 – Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.

Steelers…Cowboys…Raiders…Giants…Browns…Buccaneers…Packers…Vikings. If you know the names, you know the game. Football: the great American contact sport. But did you know football can be used as a spiritual analogy to life? No? Well, let me shed a bit of truth about the gridiron sport.

Apart from the rabid fan base, the obsession with team jerseys and the players that wear them, football follows some very basic guidelines. First, a team engages with an opponent. Next, football is a team sport. Finally, at the conclusion of a game, only one team comes out the victor.

Know Your Opponent – From the book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, “You must know your enemy before going to battle. If you know your enemy and know yourself, you’ll come out of 100 battles with 100 victories. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you will win one battle and lose the next. If you do not know yourself or your enemy, you will always lose. You need to know yourself and know your enemy in order to win.” As Christians, our opponent goes by many names, but his sole intent is purposeful. His team’s only game plan is to “kill, to steal and to destroy” (John 10:10). When God’s word tells us to “be self controlled and alert; your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour,” know your opponent and take his role seriously. Although I’d rather get tackled by a 300-lb. linebacker than to be succumbed with an incurable disease or family devastation, God provides us with the ultimate team uniform to absorb impact. That uniform is called the “full armor of God” and it protects us from the impact of the enemy’s schemes. And as you well know, the devil does not play fair. Therefore, we must remember to suit up daily with the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet covered in peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit.

The Ultimate Team Sport – The game of football is not like playing the game of tennis. It’s not a solo sport competed alone on a field. From the quarterback to the wide receivers and the linebackers in between, each player has a position and role in which to take part. Linemen block for the quarterback. Wide receivers catch and advance the old pigskin. Kickers kick for the extra points. The significance of their position is crucial on the field of battle. Simply put, if they aren’t doing their job, the team suffers. And as Christians, we have a function as well. “Just as each of us has one body with many members…so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4, 5). Our roles as intercessors, encouragers, teachers, servants and leaders are crucial to the kingdom of God’s advancement over the powers of darkness. Simply put, if we aren’t doing our jobs, the enemy advances his agenda. His agenda includes the destruction of families, the diminishing standards of sexual purity before marriage and the annihilation of the unborn, just to name a few. We are called to speak truth in love, to be salt and light in the world and to show the love of the Lord to a lost and hurting world. And though we will grow weary in doing well, our strength is in God and in the encouragement from others. You’ve heard the adage that there is safety in numbers, right? Well, God’s word proves that “though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 2).

The Outcome of the Game – Giving a spiritual slant to the gridiron jargon, the world is in the 4th quarter of life. The opposition has mounted a full scale attack and although our outcome has been assured on the cross, the game only ends with Christ’s return to earth. Therefore, in these crucial last days, the best defense is to (1) submit to God’s strength (James 4:7), (2) study our ultimate play book, the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15) and (3) endure to the end (Hebrews 12:1, 2). This strategy promises a hope and a future to all who get in the game!

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